Mimi Butler is a multidisciplinary artist based in Brighton, Sussex. Her fields of interests are ancient landscapes, mythical beasts, folk and country lore. She is currently looking at the relationships of the land with historic uses through stories. She has layered the fabric to create a feeling of time passing on the telling of the folktale.

See Mimi’s work as part of our annual Autumn open call exhibition, We Fear Nae Evil. Six Foot Gallery is delighted to host thirty three artists exploring the strange and magical stories of Scottish Folklore. Our Sextet listening station is back with twenty-four new pieces for you to spend some quality time with.

Hi Mimi! How did you arrive at the theme of your work?
My banner The Hag Riders is inspired by a folk story of the hag riders (witches) told by a ploughman in a Sussex village recorded in 1937: the ploughman tells a tale about horses bewitched by hag riders (witches) and that when discovered in the morning, they turn into wheat straws and try to run away. The ploughman had tied one straw into a knot, so one of the hag riders legs were twisted like a pretzel. In most country areas hagstones (stones with a hole in them) and iron horseshoes were tied to stable doors to ward off the evil eye and mischief makers. I have represented the frenzied mare with round eyes and a gold straw like mane with ears of corn for the hags. It’s quite a dark tale, the ploughman can’t understand why his mares are being so agitated and tired, and makes sense of it by telling this story.

What emotions or reactions do you hope viewers experience when they see your artwork?
The banner can be used as a story telling device along with a similar structure found in Tarot cards or music. There is a slightly dreamy quality to the story as both the tale and the memory that passes through history from the old to the modern current era. Myths can encapsulate human experience through symbols, stories and tall tales.

Can you walk us through your creative process?
It could be a story or an object seen at a museum. I’m drawn to everyday experiences and how people made sense of their lives. I usually start with a long, meandering walk in the forest or downs, the rhythm helps me think and then I draw up some rough sketches, I use printmaking, textiles and ink drawings to start, then make a rough pattern idea of what I need in the image, I then paint textures and shapes onto calico, sewing them up and embroidering features.

How do you typically approach your creative process from initial inspiration to the completion of your artwork?
Using layers of painted fabric and stitches I’m attempting to recreate a palimpsest of the passage of many years, collaging and painting combined with the fabric. Cutting and sewing, I place layers over each other, the images often come together in an unconscious way.

Are there any upcoming events or additional information you would like the audience to know? 
Ongoing collaborations coming up next year using unusual rural buildings for exhibitors and performers. For example, I have been part of the collective ‘Art Rovers’ curating events in a windmill. We want to collaborate to enhance the spaces with puppetry, film, music and textiles. On a personal note, I am planning a larger scale fabric art piece around corn rituals and sacrifice, traditions as old as early farming in all cultures. In the present climate of AI slop and theft of the commons, I think collaboration is an important way for artists and creators to gain their autonomy.

Find out more about Mimi’s work on Instagram. We Fear Nae Evil runs at Six Foot Gallery until Friday 16th October.